10 Best Asian Basketball Players Of All Time

If you love sports, you're going to need to know the 10 best Asian basketball players of all time. While Asians and Asian Americans who play ball are a rare breed indeed, the ones who are known within the sport are well known indeed. Get ready to learn about some fresh faces and established names with this list of the best Asian basketball players of all time.

Yao Ming. Currently playing for the Houston Rockets, this Chinese-born man is currently one of the most famous and popular Asian basketball players of all time. Standing at a towering 7'6", he's also the tallest player in the NBA in 2010.

Wat Misaka. Hailing from Japan, he is the first Asian Pacific Islander to have ever played in the NBL, one of the forerunners of the NBA. Though his tenure on the New York Knicks was short-lived, his presence on the team makes him one of the most groundbreaking Asian basketball players of all time.

Wang Zhizhi. Standing at seven feet tall, he was the first Chinese player to join the NBA. He played for the Dallas Mavericks starting in April 2001.

Jeremy Lin. Standing at 6'3", this junior at Harvard leads the team in points, assists, and steals. Despite his meek presence in the NCAA, he's still one of the best Asian American basketball players of all time.

Kelvin Kim. This point guard used to play for UCLA before transferring to a starting position for UC San Diego. He's famous for speaking out against the racism that many Asian American basketball players feel in the college league.

Erik Spoelstra. During his college basketball career, this Filipino American player was on the squad for the University of Portland. Later, he went on to become the head coach of the Miami Heat, making him the first Filipino American to ever hold such a position.

Kirk Kim. Though a relative unknown in the larger circle of the NCAA, this Korean American played for the University of California, Berkeley during his undergraduate career. Having been interviewed concerning the trials he faced in the league as an Asian, he's considered by many to be the most outspoken Asian basketball player of all time.

Kosuke Takeuchi. Currently playing for the Aisin Sea Horses, this power forward is considered to be one of the best Asian basketball players of all time. He played for Keio University before joining the JBL.

Jayram Jay. Born in India in 1981, he was known for his relatively tall stature in the Asian circle, standing at 6'3". When participating in the 2009 FIBA Championship for Men, he averaged 5 points per game and 3 rebounds per game.

Tomoo Amino. Also playing for the Aisin Seahorses in the JBL, this Japanese native is is a prominent forward and guard. Born in Tokyo, he towers over the competition by standing at 6'5".